Luin Lee origin
by Rudel Saint
Summary: A short origin story for Luin Lee otherwise known as Captain Mask and his obsession with kuntala pride.


_"Mama! Mama!"_

 _"Yes my little Luin?"_

 _"I got accepted into the school in the capital territory, the academy!"_

 _Luin's mother was shocked but she could not let her young child notice her concerned look, lest little Luin lies heartbroken at his accomplishments._

 _"I can't wait to tell papa!"_

 _"Umm, Luin I don't think your father will be here until next Sunday night, why don't you let me tell him instead"_

 _"Aww, but I really wanted to see papa's face when I tell him the good news!" Luin, only 6 at the time had the most sincere and warmest smile that his mother could not help but take joy in seeing it._

 _"Don't worry sweetie I'll make sure to tell him for you"_

 _"Thanks mama, you're the bestest!"_

 _"Yes, yes dear, now hurry along and play with your friends, you deserve a break!"_

 _"Wow! Really mama?"_

 _"Of course dear, now go before it gets dark"_

 _"I love you mama, I swear I'll make you proud!"_

 _"Oh I love you so much my little Luin"_

 _He hugs his mother tightly and she feels the sheer joy within her son. Luin is now running off to play and enjoy his freedom._

 _"What should I do?" she thought to herself as the realization dissipated the warmth she had felt only moment ago._

 _"I can't let my son go there, I, I just can't"_

 _She breaks down crying, the meal she was making burns in her moment of weakness._

 _Sunday night when Luin was supposed to be asleep, he quietly creeps out of his bed as soon as he hears his father walk in the door._

 _He waits until his father is in his room and then slowly walks by planning to surprise his dad with the surprise. As he reaches the door he drops silent, his parents are arguing._

 _"How could you let this happen? Do you have ANY idea what those kids will do to him?" he tells her with a defeated look in his face._

 _At this point little Luin runs back to his bed in shame._

 _"Oh great now Luin heard us" he says while still holding that broken look on his face_

 _"I, I'm sorry okay?! I just want my boy to be happy; I can't take any bit of happiness away from him! I never know when he'll experience it again!" she breaks_

 _"Sigh, listen, honey, I know what you're trying to do, I know what you're saying but..."_

 _Luin is back in his room and weeps silently into night. His once cheerful smile is now encased by grief._

 _"Why doesn't papa want me to be happy? I'm just trying to be good for him and mama..." his last thought before his tears lull him to sleep_

 _Luin wakes up to breakfast and puts on his uniform, there he greets his father with an empty smile and asks to leave early under the pretense of school._

 _His mother knows how sensitive Luin is but before she says anything, his father asks Luin if he could take him to school instead._

 _Luin surprised since his father never took him to school, or anything really, had to oblige since he was happy he could spend some time with his dad._

 _"Alright, we'll leave in 5 minutes!" Luin could barely wait seconds let alone 5 minutes_

 _"Papa this isn't the way to my new school"_

 _"Sigh, son there's something I have to tell you, something that might be a bit hard to understand"_

 _"Uhm, okay papa" Luin looks at his father with a face of fear_

 _"See son, people like us don't really hang around others for a reason"_

 _Luin's face of fear starts to match the tone of his father's._

 _"We are looked down by others because we are Kuntala"_

 _Luin is completely perplexed by this new word._

 _"Kuntala?_

 _"Yes, Kuntala, others view us as something beneath them"_

 _Luin is silenced by the sudden shock_

 _"I know you heard me and your mother arguing last night, and you probably got the wrong idea"_

 _"..."_

 _"I just don't want you getting hurt son"_

 _Luin, still silent begins to shed tears._

 _"I just want you..."_

 _"PAPA!"_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"I WANT TO MAKE YOU PROUD! I DONT CARE WHAT PEOPLE SAY OR DO I WANT TO MAKE YOU AND MAMA PROUD OF ME!"_

 _"Luin that's not…"_

 _"Papa please! I know I can, and I will! I just need you to let me do it"_

 _His father's broken face lit up for the first time in a long time_

 _"Luin, are you sure?"_

 _"Yes papa! I'll do anything to make you and mama proud that I'm your son!"_

 _"Alright Luin, you can do what you want"_

 _"I won't disappoint you! I swear"_

 _Luin's father smiles as he drives Luin to the school at the Capital Tower_

 _"OH I'm so sorry Luin! I made you late"_

 _"It's okay papa! I'm sure today will be great!"_

 _"Just make sure you're fine Luin, I'll see you when I get home."_

 _Luin enters the silent building and rushes to his homeroom_

 _"You're late"_

 _"I'm sorry miss!"_

 _"I don't want to hear your apologies, now go sit down"_

 _"Yes ma'am" Luin rushes to an empty seat, immediately the children around him scatter for reasons unknown to him_

 _"I hear the new kid is a Kuntala"_

 _"Yeah I heard that too"_

 _"SU-Cord who let a Kuntala into the school?"_

 _"I hear Kuntalas live out in the jungle like animals"_

 _"Yeah stupid Kuntalas are just animals"_

 _"Ugh stupid Kuntalas"_

 _Luin hears these whispers and begins to scowl as he remembers the words of his father._

 _"Ugh why is that nasty Kuntala here"_

 _"SU-Cord Kuntala are the worst!"_

 _"Why is there a Kuntala here anyways?"_

 _"Hey Kuntala go back home!" Torriti yells at Luin_

 _"SHUT UP!" Luin shouts, he can't take it anymore, take what he himself questions_

 _"THAT'S ENOUGH FROM EVERYONE. LUIN YOURE GETTING DETENTION"_

 _Luin's cheerful demeanor deteriorates over time; he is experiencing his father's worst nightmare as he foretold._

 _Luin is constantly berated, shunned, ostracized, and hurt throughout his time at the academy._

 _The week is finally over for Luin as he breathes a sigh of relief for a second before he realizes that he has to endure years at this academy. His young mind and heart are rattled until he bursts out in tears._

 _Waiting for his father he picks himself up and wipes away the tears, he has to make papa and mama proud no matter what._

 _His dad finally arrives and greets him with a warm hug._

 _"How was school champ?" his father asks with a hopeful tone_

 _Luin, attempting to lie picks up his head, barely hiding his whimpers_

 _"Oh it's good papa! I'm making so many new friends and the teacher is really nice too! I'm even staying after class to help tidy things up!"_

 _Luin's father can tell his young child is trying not to disappoint him and just goes with it._

 _"That's great to hear son!"_

 _He turns to Luin whose head is lowered in shame._

 _"Hey how's about we go get ice cream, I know this really good shop that's near by"_

 _"R-really papa? That sounds great! Can we get some for mama too?"_

 _"Of course we can!"_

 _Luin and his father go deeper inside the Capital Tower until they see the shop._

 _Once inside Luin and his dad get in line eagerly awaiting their turn when Luin spots a classmate there with his mother._

 _"Ugh mommy there's Kuntala in line! I don't want ice cream anymore!"_

 _The child said it loud enough so that everyone could hear it and line cleared out as soon as he said it._

 _Luin breaks down in tears, matching the inside of his father's broken face._

 _The shop owner sees the two and asks if they'll order or not to which Luin's dad replies "yes" and carries him over. Luin, still distraught from the fact that people can be so spiteful for no reason cannot compose himself, his dad orders three vanilla cones and again picks up Luin so they can leave._

 _On the way home Luin's father stops along the way and tells his son_

 _"Luin, I knew you were lying when you said that about your school earlier"_

 _"I'M SORRY PAPA! I just wanted to make you proud! I just, I just don't want to disappoint you!" Luin has maintained his painful cry since he got out of class but to his father this cry was as if his son was dying in front of him._

 _"Luin, listen, it's alright son, you don't have to lie to me, I know what you're going through, I suffered through it too. But listen to me my son, this is what my father told me so I could get through life and what his father told him and so on. We Kuntala came from Newtypes, we understand more, and we feel more deeply. Our people once helped them in everything they faced. We are proud, we are strong, we are human. Don't let them tell you otherwise, especially you Luin, you are special. You alone have the chance to show the world what we Kuntala are capable of. You can bring honor back to all Kuntala, I believe you can"_

 _Luin's father was never actually told this story, he had thought of it throughout the week as to somehow keep the spirits of his son up. He too was now afraid that this would mess with his child's mind but it had to be done._

 _Luin, still crying, suddenly feels as if all his tears are ice crystals on his and his whole body suddenly goes cold. He has never heard his father talk that way before and even though he couldn't quite understand everything he said, still had words that struck at his core. He completely understood pride and Kuntala and that he was the one to bring honor to being a Kuntala._

 _Suddenly he hugged his father so tightly and so dearly that he no longer felt the cold, the tears of joy and relief streaming down his young cheeks had worn it off. Luin's father still contemplating what just left his lips in his moment of weakness turned to his son wrapped around him and he too felt the purity and good from embracing his son, his broken and defeated face now saw light and remedy and also broke down crying with little Luin._

 _They finally reached home._

 _Luin, now ready to face anything that this world could throw at him, held his chin up high and walked taller than before, he had pride now, he had a purpose. His father still had a heavy heart but allowed his child to live, as he wanted. In the back of his mind, he feared that his son would become obsessed with the words he fed him earlier._

 _Luin still felt the sting of every insult and slur he was called throughout his years at the academy, eventually the kids turned to teens and to young adults and changed their mentality as is custom but not Luin. Luin kept his mind set on achieving honor for his people, no matter what._


End file.
